


A Home with Each Other

by majesticduxk



Series: SPN Pair Bingo Fills [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel fic, Gen, Mild Angst, Schmoop, neglected cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 00:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2209434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majesticduxk/pseuds/majesticduxk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel gets the responsibility of looking after the young cherub Castiel. </p><p>He is not the most attentive guardian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Home with Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> so this was entered as part of the spn_pair bingo, and I got second prize, which was art. Art for this story!
> 
>   
> (original art by twisted-slinky, found [here](http://twisted-slinky.livejournal.com/93135.html?view=416975#t416975))

“Why do I have to?”

Gabriel stared at the angel in front of him. Much to his annoyance, rather can cowering at the anger of an archangel, Balthazar snorted, and continued to hold out his live package. 

“This is your duty, Gabriel. Decreed from on high and all that.” Balthazar let that sink in for a moment, then added “Everyone else is busy Gabriel. Doing _their_ Heavenly duties. Maybe if you did _yours_ you wouldn’t find yourself on babysitting patrol.” 

Gabriel refused to take the squirming bundle. Balthazar (damn impertinent angel!), rolled his eyes, before waving a hand and conjuring up a basket of some sort, which he then placed the cherub in.  
“The point is, he’s your job now.”

Gabriel transferred his gaze from the angel to the cherub. Serious blue eyes stared back at him. 

“What about the other cherubs? Why isn’t he with them?”

Gabriel missed Balthazar’s uncomfortable expression, engaged as he was in a staring competition. “Castiel… Castiel is a little younger than the others. He’s at a different point in training. Naomi felt…”

Now _that_ got his attention. 

“Naomi? Naomi _felt_?? A, Balthazar, Naomi doesn’t have feelings. And B? By all that’s Holy _who put Naomi in charge of raising the cherubs_?”

Backing away, Balthazar cast a wary glance around him. “Couldn’t say. Point is, Castiel is your problem now. Toodles.” And he disappeared. 

Heaving a sigh, Gabriel continued staring at the serious little face that stared right on back. 

“The question is, what am I supposed to _do_ with you?”

\--

Much to Gabriel’s surprise, he enjoyed having Castiel around. More often than not, the little cherub was no trouble at all. He didn’t talk much, which meant he didn’t ask for anything, which meant Gabriel didn’t have to change anything about his lifestyle. 

_And_ he had a witness to his most entertaining tricks. 

Heaven was in a minor uproar, and that was just the way Gabriel liked it. 

\--

“You aren’t supposed to just enjoy having him around,” Balthazar told him sternly one evening, after Castiel had disappeared off to wherever cherubs go to sleep at night. “You are _supposed_ to be raising him.” 

Pausing in his admonishments, Balthazar took a sip of wine. Gabriel rolled his eyes. This had been coming for days: the pointed remarks, the questions to Cassie. But he hadn’t been cornered in his own nest before. 

“Can he fly yet? Have you been grooming him?”

Gabriel kept on reading, although he felt a slight flicker of guilt. He hadn’t done any of that, but surely the other cherubs would groom him. It was a nest thing. As for the flying… well, he _supposed_ it was his responsibility. Maybe they could start next week…

Balthazar looked around. “And where is he? Where does he sleep?”

Gabriel looked up at that. He had been studiously ignoring Balthazar (who was he to tell Gabriel what to do anyway), but what…?

“What d’you mean? Cassie goes wherever the other cherubs go to sleep.”

Gabriel didn’t think he would ever forget Balthazar’s horrified expression.

“Gabriel! They sleep with their nest mates! The other cherubs share a nest with Naomi! Don’t tell me…”

He was speaking to empty space though. A mighty swoop of wings and Gabriel was our searching for his cherub.

\--

“Cassie? Castiel? Cassie? Where are you?”

If I was a cherub, where would I be? Gabriel thought frantically to himself, even as his voice filled the Heavens. 

He’d already swept over the gardens. He’d combed the adult angel areas, and even looked in on human heaven. He was now in the official cherub area, a place he’d never been before. If he wasn’t so worried about Castiel, he would have taken the time to be scathing of the nests. Nest elders built the nests for their cherub flocks, and whoever was in charge of these cherubs was obviously a boring stick in the mud. 

(Not that it mattered right now.)

(Not that he could say anything. He was the worst nest elder in all of Creation.)

“Cassie!”

“Oh for Father’s sake, keep it down, Gabriel. What are even doing at this time of night?.” Appearing at the entrance to her nest, Naomi glared at Gabriel. “You’re waking up my fledglings. Go away.”

Gabriel alighted on Naomi’s doorstep, grasping at her shoulder. “Naomi! Have you seen Cassie?”

The angels’ eyebrows arched. “ _Cassie_? I assume you mean Castiel. I knew he’d be nothing but trouble, with those disgusting wings. I was right to reject him, your little abomin…”

Thunder and lightning rent the sky as Gabriel felt rage shoot through him. Even Naomi knew enough to shut up. 

“You will. Never. Refer to him. In such a way. Ever. Again.”

Gabriel very rarely got angry. He was the easiest going angel in all of Heaven. His righteous anger though, was something to behold. What was she thinking, referring to a _cherub_ in such a way! 

Gabriel’s stress levels were sky high, and he wasn’t having any of Naomi’s attitude…

“You rejected him!”

Naomi flushed unbecomingly. 

“You heartless coward! You misbegotten spawn of…!”

“Enough.”

The word was quiet, but resonated throughout the skies, dissipating Gabriels storm. 

“Michael…”

Gabriel didn’t know what he wanted to say to his brother, but his mind went blank as he saw the precious cargo in his arms. 

“Cassie!”

The little angel was asleep, dark wings wrapped tightly around himself, although his face was exposed. That little tear streaked face peeked out from his fluffy, fledgling feathers. 

“Oh, Cassie…” Gabriel's heart had dropped like a stone. This innocent little being, hurt and neglected due to _him_. While he wanted to reach out and gather Castiel to his bosom, his overwhelming guilt stopped his hands half way. 

Behind him, Naomi started up. “Utterly unreliable, I don’t even understand why…”

“QUIET.”

Gabriel didn’t even bother to control is grace. The whole of Heaven felt his anger, and wondered. 

There were quiet whimpers from the nest. Michael turned to Naomi. 

“Naomi. Go settle your cherubim. Gabriel,” and he didn’t know if the censure was real or a produce of his own guilt… “Come with me to my nest. We have to talk.”

\--

Much to Gabriel’s surprise, Michael didn’t immediately yell at him. He didn’t even put Castiel down, instead choosing to sit on the luxurious lounge (Michael’s taste was tastefully luxurious, completely different to Gabriel’s, although he could appreciate it…), cradling the still sleeping cherub in his arms. 

Realisation hit. 

“You mojo’ed him!” Gabriel accused. “Everyone in Heaven knows of my anger! And yours! He couldn’t have slept through that unless…”

“I wasn’t angry,” Michael responded mildly. “I’m still not. I am, however, disappointed.”

Feeling his stomach clench. He hated disappointing his older brother, and lashed out Gabriel angrily. “I _told_ Balthazar I would be no good at this! Yet he still left Cassie with me. Forced him on me!”

Cocking his head, Michael stared at Gabriel. He’d been set on taking the cherub to raise as his own. He had guilt as well – he hadn’t realised Castiel was being neglected like this. That it should happen under his watch… He’d checked during the day, of course, and while Gabriel was not an _ideal_ guardian, he seemed to enjoy spending time with the little cherub. Michael hadn’t thought to check where Castiel was at night. It wasn’t until Gabriel’s distressed cries reverberated throughout Heaven’s skies that he realised there was a larger issue. It would never have occurred to him..

It was no effort to find him. Michael, after all, was responsible for Heaven. But when he’d found him, his heart had broken. 

Castiel had found a spot in the garden furthest from the inhabited parts of Heaven, and made himself a little nest. Made of broken twigs, with no light, no nestmates. Awake and shivering, quiet tears making their way down his cheeks, Michael had been helpless to stop himself reaching for Castiel. Before he’d had time to consider his next move, Gabriel’s anger rent the skies. As little Castiel whimpered in his arms, Michael touched two fingertips to his forehead, sending him to sleep before going to stop Gabriel from destroying Naomi. 

Gabriel had proved he was no fit guardian for a cherub. Had indicated he had no interest in it. And yet…

“What do you want, brother?”

Gabriel jerked: his entire focus had been on Castiel.

“Brother?”

Michael looked at little Castiel. 

“Do you wish to raise Castiel? Are you willing to take responsibility?”

Holding up a hand to forestall Gabriel’s impassioned response, he favoured Gabriel with a hard look. “Castiel has been neglected enough. If you don’t mean it, don’t say it.”

“You can’t send him to Naomi!”

Although Michael claimed he didn’t favour any angel above another, his slight grimace spoke volumes. “No, Gabriel. Naomi would not be a suitable guardian either. _And_ ,” once again Gabriel went to interrupt and once more he was spoken over, “I am not going to bandy Castiel like some unwanted cousin. His next home will be his last. If you are unwilling to look after him, I shall take care of his guardianship.”

If Gabriel hadn’t been 100% committed to his course of action that would have made up his mind. No one could doubt that Michael loved his little brothers, but he was the Warrior of Heaven. Cassie deserved so much more than that – love, and fun, and warmth, and support. Things that Gabriel had failed to give him. 

Squaring his shoulders, Gabriel looked up at his brother, staring him in the eye. 

“I know I failed him. I… there are no excuses. But I can be a good guardian. I want to be a good… the best older brother _ever_. I want Cassie to… to grow up happy and loved. I want Castiel.”

Nervously awaiting Michael’s response, both angels were surprised when a little voice spoke up. 

“You want me?”

Without a second thought, Gabriel reached out, grabbing the little angel and clutching him to his breast. 

“Of course I want you, Cassie. And I am so sorry I made you think you weren’t wanted. You are _my_ little cherub. So what’s say we go home, get some sleep, then.” Gabriel made a face, “we can talk to big brother Balthazar about what a fledgling needs to learn.”

The little angel in his arms squirmed. “I… I…”

After his voice trailed off a few times, the archangels exchanged looks. Pushing Gabriel to the couch, fledgling still wrapped in his arms, Michael dropped to his knees before the two, putting Castiel and himself at eye level. 

“What do you want, Castiel?”

Castiel nervously pulled at his wings. “I… I want to learn to fly!” The words were pushed out of him in a rush. 

Sending his brother a startled look, Gabriel replied, “Of course I will teach you to fly! You’re an angel. It will take a little time as,” Michael could feel the guilt radiating from his brother, “As your wings need a bit of work. But we’ll groom them tonight and every night from now on. And soon! Soon they’ll be in perfect flying condition.”

Biting his lip, Castiel obviously wasn’t convinced. And that was strange. Angels were pretty much _created_ to fly…

“Why wouldn’t we teach you to fly?”

Wide blue eyes were unexpectedly blinking away tears. “Naomi… Naomi said that…”

Gabriel clutched Castiel to his chest, not wanting to hear the words that had so obviously hurt his little brother. Wrapping his wings around the both, he ignored Michael's muffled exclamation as bronze wings hit his head. 

“Castiel. Listen to me. Whatever Naomi said is _wrong_. Your wings? Your wings are perfect. _You_ are perfect. You are worthy of all of Heavens love. There is a good reason that you were given - _gifted_ \- to me. You’re going to be such a trouble maker that you need to learn from the best. An old stick in the mud like Naomi wouldn’t be any fun.”

It missed the point. Gabriel knew the words made no sense. But he put as much certainty and warmth and security into his voice as he could. It helped that cherubs implicitly trusted their older siblings. 

“Really?”

“Really! You and me, we’re going to show them all, kiddo!”

Michael sighed. It wasn’t exactly the outcome he was looking for. But he at least assured that Castiel’s neglect was at an end. 

“Take your cherub home, Gabriel.”

Castiel looked nervous again. Gabriel vowed that he would never have cause to doubt his place in Gabriel’s life again.

“C’mon kiddo. We’ve got some wings to groom. Then we’ll settle down for the night.”

Castiel looked at Gabriel with big eyes. “With you?”

Gabriel closed his eyes, before opening them to look sincerely at his little brother. “Listen to me, Cassie. With me. For as long as you need.”

“What if that’s forever?”

“Then looks like I have a permanent bunk buddy! Enough of the chit-chat. Let’s get you home.”

\--

Michael watched the two go. This might actually work out…

“Well, that went better than expected.”

Michael turned his thunderous brow on Balthazar. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me…”

“Woah woah woah! I only found out tonight little Cassie wasn’t nesting with Gabriel! You can bet I would have done something before then!”

Michael gave a short nod. “Why didn’t you take Castiel for yourself? I know you told Gabriel it was ordained or some such nonsense.”

Balthazar looked thoughtful for a moment. “Gabriel… He needs something to love. The fighting in Heaven has been hard for him. I can feel my own brother slipping away. Cassie… Cassie needs a lot of love. Sounds like a match made in Heaven!”

Michael very politely didn’t smite his younger brother. 

Smirking at the archangel, Balthazar continued. “But seriously, Michael. Those two are going to make a home for each other. And I’ll be around. The resident sensible brother.”

He sounded slightly disgusted. But Michael could hear the underlying happiness. 

\--

Michael did however check in on Gabriel and Castiel. Castiel’s wings now gleamed with health. Gabriel had done a good job. And the sight of the little angel wrapped in bronze wings snoozing on his brothers’ chest would forever stay in his memory. 

Balthazar was right. 

They had made a home for each other.


End file.
